4/26/12

I stood outside of countless Human Rights Campaigns extravagant Black Tie Dinners with our community and allies, as outcasts. Luxury cars with occupants eyes averted or looking with disapproval, would enter the valet parking the passengers jumping out moving quickly so not to acknowledge our existence.

We stood outside with our signs asking for one thing. We needed the HRC to confront Congressman Barney Frank and ask him to resubmit the ENDA bill as it was before he tore transgender people off and made and two separate bills.

We were desperate. Transgender people have always felt to be the underdogs in the LGBT movement and HRC's aqquencence and complicity with Barney Frank just added the explanation point to our pain.

The tables have turned!

Now that transgender people have been covered under Tittle VII of the civil rights act, where does that leave gay people?

Out in the cold, apparently, unless gays object to discrimination on the basis of, you guessed it, gender expression says Ari Ezra Waldman at Towleroad.

There was a lot of angst over the failure of ENDA and according to Waldman, some gays were angry that transgender people were not thrown completely off the bus because these gays felt they had so much of a better chance getting it passed, without us.

Now two question remain for the transgender agenda. One do we need Enda. Two should we 'go back' for gay people now?

This must read from the Metro weekly quotes Masen Davis, head of the Transgender Law Center (TLC) as saying that "the EEOC's decision doesn't reduce the need for ENDA — particularly as the decision has no impact on sexual-orientation discrimination — but Minter acknowledges, at least as to gender identity, that this decision could shift the ground somewhat."

Yeah, the ground shifted, like a earthquake it shifted. So should we go back for the gays?

I also remember United Enda which although was inconsequential at the time was the glue which bound every LGBT organization including my Dallas Advocates and Allies together. You would find us there except for Mara Quisling hatred of me she has continued to remove my organization from the rolls.

I think we should take the high ground and never forget our allies. We should continue to fight for ENDA.

I think we should continue fighting for ENDA while recognizing that it's HRC left standing outside.